BUY EARLY AND STRESS LESS, URGES SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION

As we enter the last academic term before the summer, The Schoolwear Association, whose members clothe three-quarters of Britain’s children, is urging parents to purchase uniforms for the next school year early to avoid the annual back-to-school panic.

By late August each year, schools and specialist schoolwear suppliers are inundated with last minute uniform requests, which can result in a more time consuming experience for parents, if they are unable to source specific sizes or styles so close to the start of the new school year.

According to the Schoolwear Association, the three main reasons why parents leave it to the last minute to shop for school uniform are:

·         The arrival of the holidays means school drops off the radar

·         Leaving it to near the start of the school year to see if the child’s size changes

·         Families want to put off the expense

David Burgess, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said: “All these approaches are false economy and will end up costing parent’s time and money. It makes sense to buy early to avoid the rush and to ensure that there aren't any last-minute problems. If there are any special requirements, this will give suppliers time to resolve them, meaning you’re not faced with extra expense or stress.”

“Taking the time now to choose a specialist schoolwear supplier will offer real benefits if you are willing to pay a little extra for a premium product and service. We understand that price is important but a uniform that is made well does the job better and offers better value because it lasts longer,” added Burgess.

The Schoolwear Association represents British businesses involved in the manufacture and supply of school-specific uniform, from manufacturers to wholesalers and independent retailers. Established in 2006, the association is run on an entirely voluntary basis by some of the sector’s most experienced professionals.

Ethical considerations should always be a top priority

David Burgess, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association, comments:

“It goes without saying that for those operating within the Schoolwear supply chain, ethical considerations should always be a top priority, which is why our members sign up to a code of conduct, which commits them to complying with government regulations regarding employment law and health and safety issues, not only those relating to their own business, but also the manufacturing companies that they use.

Our members are strongly encouraged to only source from factories that comply with Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) or similar accredited schemes and that the materials used in the production of the garments are free from potentially harmful chemicals.

For parents, school uniform offers excellent value, but when ordering or purchasing school uniform, price is not the only issue and we need to think about, not just the children who will be wearing the garments, but also the method of manufacture and the working conditions of the people who have made them. It is important that the welfare of the workforce is considered in the choice of the supply chain and our members make every effort to ensure that their sources are ethical and environmentally responsible.

We cannot avoid the topic of price, as this is very important, but it does not pay to clothe our children in cheap Schoolwear that doesn’t always do the job. When you are talking about garments that your child is wearing for up to ten hours a day or more, good value is not necessarily the cheapest clothing on the rail in the budget outlet. It is even worse if it comes with a hidden price tag, because ethical considerations have been overlooked such as the mistreatment of poor families in developing countries.

Of course, for disadvantaged families in the UK, the cost of uniform can be a consideration. Many suppliers provide help, to the schools that they serve, for example, by donating uniforms to needy families or helping to provide other solutions for those who need them. At the Schoolwear Association, we believe that diligent parents want to be able to provide the very best school uniform for their child, which is why we try to offer a service to schools to help make sure that all children are clothed the same regardless of income, size or location.

There is pressure from some quarters to simply make uniforms cheaper, but we must make sure that this does not come at the expense of quality or durability. It is common sense that a uniform that is made well does the job better and offers real value for money because it lasts longer. There are better ways to make uniform affordable to everyone, to fit all sizes, all year round.”

Schoolwear Association aims to ensure quality moves up the uniform agenda as schools are ordered to become academies

Our Chair David Burgess has responded to the Chancellor’s announcement in the Budget that all state schools are to become academies by 2020.

He said: “Legislation will be brought before Parliament shortly and it will be clearer how it might actually work. We will be looking at it closely and keeping our members informed.

“There are always developments in education that have implications for suppliers of school uniform, such as last autumn’s announcement that the DfE uniform guidelines would be made statutory.

“The Schoolwear Association continues to work with all those who have an interest in school uniform, including schools, suppliers, specialists, parents, government and other stakeholders.

“There have been many changes to Schools during the past 15 years, causing all sorts of challenges and this is another. Whatever system evolves, our primary aim is that children and students will start the school year with a proper uniform.

“It is possible that the change to academy status will result in at least some head teachers considering their school’s uniform. There is a lot of work to do to ensure everything goes smoothly.

“The School Uniform market is a very competitive environment, which has brought great benefits for parents. Many of the main items of uniform are lower in cost than they were 20 years ago. We recognize that cost is an important element, but there has to be the right balance with quality, performance and service if uniform is to deliver the benefits that schools, parents and government all want in our education system.

“There are other announcements in the Budget that have implications for school uniform. Secondary schools in England will bid for new funding for extra activities like sport and art. A quarter of secondary schools to stay open after 3:30pm so durable, longer-lasting and comfortable uniform will be even more of a priority.

“We assure our members and everyone with in interest in school uniform that as education faces change, we will be working hard to encourage common sense throughout the issues that arise over the coming years.”

Every child is worth it

Every child deserves a quality school-specific uniform, says David Burgess, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association.  

“A student should be able to go to school in a good quality uniform, which matches that of everyone else and provides real value for money because it lasts longer.

Each child also has the right to all the things a good quality uniform can help to confer, such as improved behaviour, better learning and greater all-round safety. Good quality uniforms can help students with their overall school experience.

So how do schools provide quality uniforms to their students? This is achieved by working closely with specialist suppliers. They understand how important Schoolwear is, and have the experience and knowledge to recommend the right options which help to create a sense of pride in the school and the community.

Specialist suppliers can offer suitable solutions for everyone, by using a mix of clothes specific to the school and others, which are more widely available. They recognise the importance of being able to provide all sizes and all colour options all year round, not just at ‘back to school’ time.

We cannot avoid the topic of price, as this is very important to the majority of parents, but when looking for the best value from a garment, it is false economy to think that clothing our children in cheap Schoolwear is the answer, especially if it isn’t durable and it doesn’t do the job properly. It is even worse if it comes with a hidden price tag at the expense of the environment or the workers who had to produce it.

It is a preconception that purchasing uniform from specialist suppliers is costly, as our research highlighted - school uniform costs on average just 45p per school day. The real drain on many family budgets is the clothing children wear when they are not in school. One individual garment to be worn out of school could cost an average of £46.58, that’s £13.10 more than the cost of a full primary school uniform, excluding PE kit.

Of course, for poorer families in the UK, the cost of uniform can be a stretch. Many specialist suppliers have close relationships with their schools and are able to offer a number of ways to help in these situations. We have campaigned in the past to reduce the VAT on school uniform and to offer school uniform vouchers similar to child care vouchers to workers. Both campaigns have fallen on “deaf ears” but we continue to offer advice to schools about other ways to help families who struggle with the costs of raising a child.

Specialist uniform suppliers are in the business of producing uniform which meets high quality standards and provides the children with something durable and lasting to wear. A uniform that is made well lasts longer, does the job better and offers real value for money. It will always provide better long term value over a cheaper and less robust garment.”

Schoolwear Association issues guidance following new rules for schools on uniform

The Schoolwear Association has issued guidance to its members about “potentially dramatic” changes to the school uniform supply chain.

Following The Department for Education’s (DfE) announcement that its School Uniform Guidelines are becoming statutory, the association is advising all those involved with any part of the school uniform market to make themselves aware of the changes.

The statutory guidelines, which are expected to be in place by the end of next year, will require schools to undertake tendering before selecting suppliers for school-specific uniform. The announcement that the previous guidelines would no longer be optional has led to a rush of enquiries from schools to the association about how to respond.

David Burgess, Chairman of the Schoolwear Association, said: “Although we believe that schools generally make sensible and pragmatic decisions about supply, price and the balance of school uniform, we welcome the changes as we believe they will create greater certainty for schools. However, this will have an impact on the industry, and we are advising members to contact us to ensure they prepare efficiently.”

The Schoolwear Association anticipates one effect of the statutory guidelines is that schools will take more control over who supplies with more schools trademarking their badges as a part of the tender process.

Mr Burgess said the schoolwear industry was already a highly competitive marketplace but that schools and suppliers needed to be aware of areas that might be seen as anti-competitive.

He said: “The Competition and Markets Authority has said it will monitor the effect of the rules to ensure that schools and suppliers comply with Competition Law. It is important that the industry responds to this, and as an association we have promised our cooperation with the CMA.”